Inspiration for the deck came from wooden water towers that dot most of the rooftops around the city. The deck is as if the tower was split open and rolled out onto the roof with six undulating ribbons to form furniture and discreet programmatic zones. On the south side, the ribbons curl up to form planting “furrows” that also double as a safety barrier. The middle section waves to form three chaise lounges of different heights. Finally the north section is formed by the ribbons rolling up and over the facade to create a canopy for an outdoor show neatly framing in the Empire State Building. A hidden hatch provides access to the roof.

GRAFTWORKS secret rooftop deck project included providing space for seating, planting boxes, a canopy, and an outdoor shower along with the need to replace the roof, parapets, and the renovation of the existing stair bulkhead. The structure for the deck was created from off-the-shelf parts as well as on-site fabricated pressure treated glu-lam beams mounted to the building’s party walls. The wood deck was made with knotty cedar, painted marine plywood sides, fiber cement plank clapboards and recycled rubber roof pavers.